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A Summer in Katmai National Park

About the Book

In the summer of 2009 I got my first experience working around bears all summer. Brooks Falls in Katmai National Park is full of bears at different parts of the summer when the salmon are running up the river. My job for the summer was driving a tour bus to the Valley of 10,000 Smokes, the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century, 6 days a week. It was a great job because I got off at 5:30 p.m. each day and then still had plenty of time to work on my photography, because it stays light so long in Alaska. Being around bears all summer was great and looked forward to doing it again. Follow my journey as I learn how to photograph and move safely around bears in the wilds of Alaska.

I graduated from Carson-Newman College in May 2008, with a BA in Photography. Immediately after graduation I went to Denali National Park to work at a hotel for the summer. On my off days and weekends I hiked through much of the park. It was an incredible experience. The next summer I went to Katmai National Park, in Alaska, and was the tour bus driver to The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. Katmai has the largest population of protected brown bears of any national park, and I saw bears every day I was there. Working around these animals was an awesome experience. During the winters I have worked at Beaver Creek ski resort in Colorado. On off days and while skiing I will still enjoy the outdoors and go take pictures. Check out my website, www.bearheadphoto.com, to see my pictures.